


Testing Bonds

by foxy11814



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-03-14 19:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3423509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxy11814/pseuds/foxy11814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter is angry at Neal, so Neal's working with a new division now. He's not completely happy, but he wants Peter to think otherwise. How will Peter react? Neal whump! Father-son and/or best friends story!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Testing Bonds

Neal opened his eyes and sighed as the alarm on his cellphone shrilled throughout the room so loudly he thought it was possible to wake every employee in June's home. Groaning, he reached out a hand and rolled his finger against the screen to the right to turn it off. Sitting up, he stretched and swung his feet to the floor.

Falling into his normal routine, he almost went straight to his closet to grab a Devore suit, but he paused when he remembered where he was going that day.

He wasn't going to the White Collar Division of the FBI. Instead, he was going to Organized Crimes, and it wouldn't be under the supervision of Peter Burke. Instead, he would be partnering up with Jerry Williamson, the Bureau's new Golden Boy. Why they felt the need to expose their new up-and-comer to the infamous Neal Caffrey, he didn't know.

He supposed it could be on the request of Peter. Things had been strained between them recently and truthfully, he had no one to blame but himself. He had deceived Peter-he had pretended to be dead for over a year and he knew that had hurt his friend tremendously. He also knew that kind of betrayal would take a really long time to get over, if ever.

Standing, he stretched and went straight to the closet. He would still dress the same; he would still do all he could to help the Bureau even if it was no longer under the supervision of Peter Burke. He understood the distance. He truly did and besides, he knew he deserved the pain this distance caused.

=)=)=)

Once again, instincts took over as Neal stepped onto the elevator in FBI Headquarters. He wanted to punch for the White Collar floor, but instead, he had to go higher...the higher the floor, the more important they considered the division. The old Neal Caffrey, before working for the White Collar Division, would have been flattered, but at this moment, he realized how much he didn't want to do this, BUT to avoid prison time, he had to reinstate his old agreement with the FBI, to work for them until his sentence was carried out.

That was one reason why he ran. He knew then, just as he knew now, the FBI was never going to let him go. They saw him as a tool to solve their toughest cases and they would use any means they had to keep him in their services. Mozzie had warned him and he had known it, too. For a time, it hadn't mattered, as long as he was working for Peter, but then he saw how much he had been affecting Peter's life. He knew he couldn't keep doing that to him, so he had decided to go. He wished he could have made Peter understand that when he returned to New York...

As the elevator dinged and opened up on the Organized Crime floor, Neal shook his head to get those thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't think about Peter at work or he'd never get anything done.

Walking into the office wasn't drastically different from walking into the White Collar Division. FBI agents and their desks were cluttered on the main floor while the supervisory agents had their own offices on a second floor with clear glass windows looking down at the bullpen as well as the buildings outside the office. If he just walked to his desk and kept his head down, he wouldn't even realize he was anywhere new, especially when they gave him cases that veered into White Collar territory. The department loved it when they didn't have to give a case up to Peter now that he was here. No doubt Peter hated it, but evidently the annoyance wasn't enough to request getting him back in White Collar where he belonged.

Flopping down into his seat, he smiled at his neighbor, Agent Bierce, who raised an eyebrow at his abruptness. "Long morning already," he mumbled to explain his actions.

"Tell me about it," Bierce whispered back. "Jerry's already been on the warpath this morning."

Neal cringed at the news. He knew if Agent Williamson was having a bad day, he would, too, soon enough. Almost as if the senior agent was reading his mind, he stepped outside his office and gave him the double finger point.

"Looks like I'm about to get my share of yelling," he said to Bierce as he stood.

The agent nodded and said, "Probably. Good luck in there."

Neal didn't look back. He simply replied, "Yeah, thanks."

=)=)=)

Neal walked into Jerry Williamson's office and stood at the door. He didn't dare do what he used to do in Peter's office: there, he would have walked in and taken a seat without asking for permission. He might have even thrown his feet up on the desk to get a reaction out of Peter. Even though he liked Jerry so far, they weren't at that level of comfort yet.

" _At least he's not like Agent Kramer_ ," he thought gratefully. He had known with much certainty if he had gone with him to D.C. several years back, he would have hated working with him. They had nothing in common and he was a little too rigid. He was a little too concerned with his own solved-case rate instead of the whole department's. Williamson, on the other hand, seemed to care for the people that worked under him, and he treated him decently. That's why he wasn't completely miserable.

"Good morning, Neal," Williamson said as he motioned with his hand for Neal to walk farther inside. "Have a seat."

Neal did as instructed. "Good morning, Agent Williamson," he greeted but was immediately cut off from saying anything further when the agent tsked him.

"We're not in a meeting. We're in private. You can call me Jerry. How many times do I have to remind you?"

Neal shrugged and replied, "I'm sorry. It's habit."

Williamson shook his head and reasoned, "I've heard you call Agent Burke "Peter" more often that not."

"Well, that's different," Neal explained. "He and I have had a rapport for years and..." He closed his mouth. He didn't want to say what was on the tip of his tongue, but Williamson didn't give him much choice.

"And?"

"Peter and I became friends. I considered him my friend before I even started working for him."

Williamson eyed him for several moments, but Neal steeled his reaction and didn't let the scrutiny bother him outwardly. Finally, the agent asked a serious question: "How long will it take for us to have that kind of relationship? How long will it take you to trust me?"

Neal blinked roughly. He hadn't expected a question quite like that and he knew Williamson wanted an answer now. "Uh," he stuttered before he calmed himself. "I don't know. It's nothing I set out to do. It just sort of happens."

Williamson stood up and walked around his desk to sit on it directly in front of his CI. "I want to be friends, Neal," Williamson stated confidently. "I want the rapport that you and Agent Burke had. I think we could be an incredible team if you'd give us a chance."

Neal felt a shiver run down his back even though he was unsure why it had occurred. Now, it was his turn to study Agent Williamson. His words seemed genuine, but he was still hesitant. To show this, he questioned, "Why? You don't even know me?"

Williamson smiled and answered, "Oh, I know you, Neal. I've studied you from afar and close up for a while. I know you on paper and in person. I'll admit I want to get to know you more, but from what I do know now, I can assure you that we could accomplish great things together."

It was definitely a sales pitch. Unfortunately for Williamson, it was a little creepier than the agent probably intended it to be. But, he knew it was in FBI agents' nature to study people, to find out all that they can about any individual they come into contact with on the job. Heck, Peter had put surveillance on Elizabeth before he had even asked her out on a single date. Was this so different?

Shrugging reluctantly, Neal stated, "You may think you know me, but I know nothing about you besides your track record with the FBI and that you're my handler."

Williamson was quick with a reply. "We can change all that. Why don't you join me and the guys for lunch today? We've all been wondering why you don't tag along."

Neal glanced behind his shoulder to the bullpen briefly. "I didn't think you'd want a convict tagging along." He looked back at Williamson to see him smirking.

"Oh, we don't mind, trust me."

Debating for only a moment, Neal agreed.

=)=)=)

Several hours later, Neal joined Agents Williamson, Bierce, McRae, and Lowes in the elevator. "Where are we going?" Neal asked as soon as the doors shut.

Everyone looked at Williamson and he immediately smiled. "I was thinking about Italian. Michael's?"

"Sounds good, Boss," Bierce answered just as the elevator stopped one floor later. The doors opened to reveal Agents Burke and Jones. Instinctively, all the agents in the elevator looked at Neal at the same time that Peter and Jones did.

Neal was about to take the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with his old co-workers, but Williamson immediately smiled and exclaimed, "Well, look who's here. Agent Burke. Long time, no see."

Peter looked a little reluctant to enter the elevator, but at Williamson's words, he did. "Hi, Jerry. Yes, it's been a while." Then, his eyes drifted to the person standing beside him. "Neal."

"Peter."

Before anyone could say anything else, Williamson started speaking again. "So, where are you two going to lunch today?"

Jones shrugged and answered, "We were thinking about the deli around the corner. What about you guys?"

Without hesitation, Williamson exclaimed, "Us, too!"

Neal immediately looked at Williamson and then Bierce. Bierce smirked at him and rolled his eyes. There had just been a change in plans at where they were eating. The only question was why.

=)=)=)

Luckily, Williamson didn't insist on sitting with Peter and Jones. They sat across the restaurant, but the two agents were still in their line of sight.

Neal stared at Peter's back for a moment before turning his attention to his handler. "So, why here?" he asked before taking a sip of water.

The agent didn't look abashed at all. In fact, Neal could tell Williamson was aware that everyone knew he had changed their lunch plans just so they could follow Peter and Jones. He shrugged nonchalantly and answered, "I wanted your old boss to know you are getting along just fine in our division."

At that, Neal felt a tinge of hope. "Oh, has Peter been asking how I'm doing?"

"Not at all," Williamson said, "but it's only natural for him to wonder."

A sudden feeling of resentment hit Neal and he was surprised to realize this emotion was directed towards Peter. Peter hadn't been asking about him and he had not turned around to look at him here, not even once. Neal felt himself pouting and he knew his mask had slipped when Williamson put an arm around him and pulled him playfully to his side.

"Come on, Neal. Let's show them how well we get along. Let's show them that we're a team."

Neal looked at Williamson, surprised, but then smiled. With a quick glance at Peter, he asked himself, "Why not?"


	2. Chapter 2

Testing Bonds Chapter 2

Neal couldn't help but smirk at Williamson. All of this—every single moment since they entered this deli—had been filled with immature, juvenile antics. And, truthfully, he found it refreshing. He laughed loudly when the FBI agents surrounding him fell into chaotic fits of hilarity. He didn't know what they were talking about; his mind was in its own little world now, but he was aware enough to keep pulling the con.

And, it had already pulled in some results. From the first moment when his table erupted into joyous laughter, Peter and Jones had both looked their way. Of course, Neal pretended not to notice and watched from his peripheral. Both had seemed shocked, and since that time, he noticed Peter would look back at him every so often and Jones' eyes practically never left.

Mission accomplished.

Peter and Jones, zero.

Neal and Jerry, one.

He paused and realized he had finally called Agent Williamson by his first name. That might not have seemed like a big deal to some, but to him, it was momentous. It showed that he was finally getting comfortable with his handler. All it took was one little con, one miniscule lie to make everyone think he was happy, and he found himself actually falling into his own natural groove. Of course, that didn't mean he was suddenly enjoying his new assignment or that he didn't want to transfer back to White Collar. He did, but at least he could recognize that things could still be good at the FBI, even if he wasn't working with Peter. After all, even if he did transfer back to White Collar, Peter was no longer a field agent, so he wouldn't work with him anyway…He might as well get used to it.

"What are you thinking?" he heard Agent Williamson ask softly, interrupting his thoughts.

Neal came back to the present and found himself just sitting there with his hand stretched out towards his water. He shook his head a little and gave a little chuckle before he brought the glass to his lips. He then answered, "Sorry. I was in my own world for a second there."

"Yeah?" Williamson asked, seemingly interested, but then he changed directions. "Anyway, I was just telling the guys that I plan on grilling myself a steak tonight." He let the statement hang in the air.

Neal could tell he was supposed to give some kind of reaction, but he wasn't sure what his new boss was looking for, so he nodded lightly.

"And, I was thinking," the agent continued, "that I wouldn't be a very good handler if I didn't offer one to my CI. You could come over…you know, right after work."

Neal almost choked on nothing but air. He gaped at the agent with wide eyes, because he was surprised that Williamson was inviting him to his home. After all, the first time he had gone to Peter's he had just invited himself and he had to admit, most of the time when he went there, it had always been by his own invitation then, too.

"How does that sound?" Williamson inquired, once again interrupting his thoughts.

Everyone at the table watched Neal, obviously waiting for an answer. Finally, his brain started working again and he replied logically, "Isn't your home outside of my radius?"

Williamson nodded and said, "It is, but I figured we could do what you and Peter did. I'll call the Marshal's Office and we can set up an approved route to my house that won't set off your anklet. How does that sound?"

Instinctively, Neal looked across the restaurant at Peter. Their eyes met, but his former handler merely turned back around.

Feeling more than a little annoyed, he nodded and replied, "Sure."

=)=)=)

The rest of the day had gone by rather uneventfully. Neal finished up paperwork on cases they had managed to close earlier in the week and Williamson stayed in his office, probably doing the same. When 5:00 arrived, he found Agent Williamson standing in front of his desk putting on his trench coat. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Not wanting to work on the report anymore, Neal immediately saved his work and signed off. He then put on his coat and flipped his hat onto his head. "Let's go," he said enthusiastically and flashed him one of his brightest smiles.

When they entered the elevator, Jerry started talking. "I'm glad you agreed to come over this afternoon, Neal. I would have understood if you had said no. After all, as you pointed out earlier, you don't really know me."

Neal nodded a little and decided to tell Williamson what he wanted to hear. "Well, how will I get to know you if I don't make any effort? Besides, how can I turn down a good rib eye?"

Jerry smiled and patted him on the back as they stepped out of the elevator. Instinctively, Neal was about to walk in the direction of Peter's car but stopped when Jerry said loudly, "Neal, we're going to take your approved route to my home, so you can remember the locales. I think this would be the easiest way for you to remember it without making any mistakes."

At first, Neal thought Williamson had raised his voice because he had begun to walk in the wrong direction (instinctively towards Peter's car)—and that still might have been part of it—but then he noticed then that the elevator next to the one they had walked off of had opened and members of the White Collar Division stepped off, including Peter.

Once again, Peter's and Neal's eyes met and this time Peter wasn't the first one to look away—Neal was. "Yeah," he called out, running to his new handler's side. "That sounds like a good idea…Jerry."

Instantly, Jerry smiled, placed his hand on the small of Neal's back, and said, "Come on, son. Those rib eye's are calling our names."

=)=)=)

_Okay, so things are going to pick up in the next chapter, but I did have a question to ask, because I'm debating with myself. I'm debating whether this story should be based solely from Neal's point of view or if should I also write some of this from Peter's, as well. Any opinions would be great. That's the main reason why I didn't post any more than this. As soon as I make up my mind, more will come in the very near future. Trust me, there is a plot to this story, not just "jealousy". Poor Neal doesn't know what's coming, LOL._


	3. Chapter 3

Testing Bonds Chapter 3

Neal knew they had hit a nerve. He knew it the moment he had met Peter's eyes and then turned away. His old handler had heard every word Jerry had said and he felt the inexplicable desire to drive the hit home. When he called Agent Williamson by his first name, he knew it was making a statement, that he was okay in Organized Crimes, that he was getting along just fine in this new situation…regardless of whether it was actually true or not.

When Jerry placed a hand at the small of Neal's back and led him to his new boss' brand new Ford Fusion that the Bureau had given to him when he transferred in, he quickly glanced back and took in Peter's expression. Peter looked more than shocked—he looked concerned and perhaps a little upset.

For a slight moment, he wanted to run back to Peter and explain what was going on, that this was nothing but a con to make him feel the pain he felt at being forced into exile while living right here in New York within arm's reach of each other…but he didn't. It certainly wasn't the right time, and for all he knew, Peter still might react indifferently towards him. Right now, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle that reaction, so he merely turned back to the car and got inside.

He was so lost in his thoughts, contemplating and trying to decipher Peter's look, that they were at Williamson's house before he knew it and he hadn't paid the slightest attention to how to get there…

=)=)=)

At first Neal believed it would just be him at Jerry's house that afternoon, but shortly after they had arrived, Agent Bierce pulled up. Then, a few minutes afterward, Lowes and McRae also showed up.

The men greeted Neal and went to sit in the back while Jerry grilled the promised steaks. Neal looked around Williamson's tiny but decent shotgun house and decided to follow them. The backyard was nice with comfortable lawn furniture that provided a seat for everyone present. He took a seat closest to the grill and nodded at Jerry who smiled at him warmly in greeting.

As Jerry busied himself flipping the steaks, Neal paid attention to Agent Bierce's conversation with McRae.

"I tell you, Jeff," Bierce said conspiratorially. "Jackson is our guy. He is intimidating the entire street to get the amount of money he needs in a short time. If you ask me, it's because he wants to make a purchase."

Neal raised his entire brow in interest and questioned, "What kind of purchase?"

When the two agents stopped talking and turned in unison to look at him suspiciously, he raised his hands defensively. "Sorry. I know I'm not on the case, so it's none of my business. I was just curious."

He started to turn away when Jerry suddenly turned towards the group and stated, "Go on, tell Neal. If you're right and he does want to make _that_ purchase, this is going to be right in Neal's wheelhouse."

Bierce didn't hesitate after he had received permission. He grinned as he scooted his chair closer to Neal and said, "I don't know for sure, but there has been some chatter with other CI's about a long lost art piece surfacing and that there has been a frenzy by many potential buyers to obtain it. Maybe Jackson is one of those individuals."

Neal nodded and agreed, "I've heard talks about a Rembrandt resurfacing from a Montreal Museum heist in the 70's. But tell me, what makes you think Jackson—whoever he is—wants it?"

Bierce and McRae smile at each other and explained, "Jackson tends to want the unobtainable or rarities, no matter what it is: whether it's paintings, cars, houses…people. He's a big spender and a deep roller. We suspect he has his hand in a lot of things, but so far we've only linked him to a few business extortions, nothing too concrete yet, but we know it's him."

Neal leaned back and thought about it before asking the big question on his mind. "Why haven't I been brought in on this case before now?"

Bierce looked over at Jerry, who finally got all the steaks off the grill and was placing them on separate plates on a nearby table. Jerry replied, "Because we wanted to know if we can trust you, Neal."

Instantly, Neal became irritable. "I think I've proven that while I was with Peter. I do well on cases like this, and I don't make a habit of letting the Bureau down when dealing with them. You said earlier that you wanted me to trust you and that we could do great things together, but that doesn't seem like you believe that now."

Jerry laughed and handed Neal his plate. "You're here now, aren't you? We've made progress today, Neal, so I've brought you in. I knew this very conversation would be inevitable tonight. And, as for how long I bring you in and how deeply I let you get involved, well, again that depends on you and how well things to continue to go from this point forward."

Neal looked at the plate in his hands and asked, "Is there something else going on with this case? It seems to me that if your hunch is correct, the next course of action would be to pinpoint the location of the Rembrandt and to set up a sting, with me being the front man, of course. Unless there's a reason not to?"

Jerry smiled and said, "We might take you up on that, but it's not the right time. There are more details that we need to hammer out before I try an operation such as this with you."

"What kind of details?" Neal asked suspiciously. "Maybe I can help you find those answers."

Jerry's grin widened as he agreed, "Oh, I'm sure you can."

When the agent turned to give the other plates to the others, Neal couldn't help but feel confused and a little paranoid. He wasn't sure why, but something about this case and the way they were handling it just wasn't settling right in his mind at all.

=)=)=)

Peter sat on his couch as El handed him a bottled water and questioned, "Come on, hon. What's wrong?" When her husband shook his head, she furrowed her brow and continued, "And, don't tell me nothing. While things have been…stressed since Neal's return, I can tell something else is going on now. What is it?"

Peter's immediate response was to sigh. His wife knew him so well.

"It's Neal," he answered simply.

She nodded and replied, "Obviously."

He closed his eyes for a moment and said, "I don't like this, El." When he opened his eyes, he grabbed her hand and made her sit down beside him. He twisted to her slightly and revealed, "I wanted Neal to know how it felt when he abandoned New York."

El gripped his hand harder and interrupted, "You mean when he abandoned _us_. You wanted to punish him."

Peter didn't acknowledge her words; instead, he kept talking. "I wanted Neal to know what he _had_. Even though Neal and I had our moments, I tried not to treat him like a criminal…" He paused for a moment of self-reflection and added, "…most of the time.

"Jerry Williamson has a reputation of being a stickler for the rules, a real hard ass, and that's saying something by FBI standards. I know he's a good guy, so when Williamson expressed an interest in working with Neal at a department meeting, I decided to take him up on it. I thought he'd show Neal that he had it good in the White Collar Division." He shook his head again and El immediately brought her other hand to his cheek.

"Hon, what's happened?"

"Nothing," he replied, clearly exasperated. "That's precisely the damn problem! Neal hasn't stepped out of line once in Organized Crimes. From what I saw today, he's doing quite well, in fact."

"From what you saw today?"

Peter looked up at the ceiling to seemingly study it and replied, "He went to lunch with the guys from Organized Crime. They were over there laughing and having a good time. And, all I could think about was…" He paused in his explanation and El raised her eyebrow.

"You miss him," she whispered.

Peter shook his head once and was stopped from any other action by El's admonishing, "Hon."

He paused, his shoulders sagging instantly as if he were suddenly released from the world's pressure. "I've been missing him since he ran off, and it hurts to see him buddying up to Williamson. Supposedly, Neal is going over to his house today. From what it sounded like, Neal has an approved route that he can use to go to his house whenever he wants."

They stayed silent for several moments before El finally said, "It sounds like while you were trying to teach Neal a lesson, you taught yourself one, as well. Instead of wasting time punishing one another, why don't you talk to him and bring him home?"

Peter looked at his wife and she rolled her eyes. "It's obvious that's what you wanted to do. I've stayed out of it because you get so standoffish whenever Neal comes up in conversation, but it's getting the point now where neither one of us can stand how things are going. Go to Neal, hon. Talk to him. Forgive him." She smiled and looked over at a play crib in the center of the room. "Then, bring him over here to meet his namesake. It's a shame he hasn't met Little Neal, yet."

Peter sighed and leaned back into the couch. He pulled El into his arms as he also stared at his son. "What's if it's too late for all that, hon? Neal seemed completely acclimated today. He might not have any desire to come back to White Collar."

El shook her head and then rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't forget what you're always stressing to me. Neal is an incredible con artist and he has every reason to make you think he's happy. I know Neal, just like I know you. Trust me when I say he's probably been just as miserable as you are. He looks up to you and for a long time you were the only reason why he stayed on the right path. That's says a lot. I also think you're the reason he returned and why he's still walking the right path. Talk to him."

Peter turned his head slightly and kissed his wife's forehead. "I will tomorrow." He smiled and asked seriously, "What did I do to get so lucky to have you?"

She leaned up and smiled at him before kissing him deeply.


	4. Chapter 4

Testing Bonds Chapter 4

Neal rubbed at his eyes tiredly after staring at his computer screen for the better part of two hours. As soon as he had entered the Organized Crime Division that morning, he had gone straight to his desk and started working. He wasn't sure why he was being so determined today aside from the fact that he wanted to remain busy to keep his mind off of things. Of course, just the knowledge that he was acting this way to not think about things brought those subjects to his mind quickly.

He was tempted to grab his phone several times to call Peter. He wanted to talk to him, to tell him about his afternoon at Agent Williamson's house, the new case they were working on, and his unsettled feelings surrounding it.

Of course, he steadied his hand each time. Right now, Peter was not his supervising agent. Going to Peter would be a slap in Jerry's face, and not to mention, Peter still might not want to talk to him. With the reasons to not talk to him piling up, he knew it was pointless to even contemplate it.

"Hey, Neal," he heard someone call out. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that several agents around him had gotten up and started heading towards the conference room upstairs. Agent McRae was calling at him from the top railing. "You coming?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, standing up abruptly and locking his computer screen before he left. He grabbed a pen from his desk, not sure what he would need, and immediately followed.

When he stepped into the conference room, Jerry was standing in front of a large projector screen which would obviously be used to tell them about a developing case. He wondered if it would be the same case he had learned about last night. It didn't take long to find out after taking a seat at the front of the table.

Jerry greeted everyone warmly and said, "I thought we'd meet to talk about the new developments on the Jackson case. Also, I wanted to make everyone aware that Neal will be joining us from this point onward."

Neal had been expecting a few groans to erupt throughout the room, but when no reaction was heard, he kept his cool and didn't show a reaction. He did, however, take the time to study the agents within his eyesight. No one seemed upset or surprised…maybe they had been expecting this. Jerry implied last night that he had every intention of bringing him in on the case long before now. The agents' reaction, or lack thereof, confirmed the senior agent's words.

"It seems like things are going to be put into motion sooner than we anticipated. The word on the street is that the Rembrandt we have been hearing about is going to have a special showing sometime this week. We don't know where yet, but…"

Before Jerry could go any further, Neal raised his hand and interrupted, "Would you like for me to contact my people and see if we can determine the location? My informants usually have better luck than the ones the Bureau uses."

That got several murmurs from the agents and Lowes replied straightaway, "We don't use White Collars' informants. We have our own."

Neal could hear the subtle irritation in Lowes' voice, so he replied cautiously, "Yes, I'm aware. It's just that I have people I could contact, too. I don't think it could hurt for a few of my…associates to ask around."

Neal turned his eyes to Jerry to see the older man smiling at him. "Can they do this without alerting anyone that the FBI is aware of the showing?"

He nodded immediately. "Yes."

It looked like Lowes wanted to respond to this, but Jerry quickly raised his palm towards the agent, and Lowes immediately fell silent. Jerry nodded and said, "Very well, Neal. Talk to your people, but we have another use for you, as well." He grinned and explained, "You told me you wouldn't mind going undercover. I think we might take you up on that, but first we need more details on where they're meeting up and how they're…"

When Agent Williamson's words trailed off, everyone in the meeting paused and looked at one another confusedly. Neal was about to question what was wrong when Agent Bierce beat him to it.

"Boss, are you okay?"

Jerry's words were low but still discernable to Neal. "What is _he_ doing here?"

Neal followed his handler's eyes and looked down at the bullpen. He was surprised to see Peter talking to a younger agent below. The young man pointed up at them and Neal watched as Peter nodded.

Bring his attention back to the meeting, he heard Agent McRae ask, "Do you think someone told Agent Burke about the case and he wants it?"

Jerry shook his head and snapped, almost angrily, "We are not giving it up! We have Caffrey and this is tied to a larger case, so there's no excuse to drop it downstairs." Neal continued to watch as Peter leaned against his desk and continued to look up at them. Jerry must have noticed this, as well, because he grimaced and said, "We'll continue this meeting later. For now, just keep your ears open about the showing and let me know as soon as you hear anything."

Once everyone agreed and was dismissed, they started to file out of the room. As Neal approached the door, however, Jerry called out, "Caffrey, my office, now."

Neal had a feeling Jerry would call out to him, and he wasn't too thrilled to see his thoughts confirmed. As soon as he exited the room and walked next door, he could feel Peter's stare on his back. Regardless, he didn't acknowledge him just yet, because Jerry walked through the side door into his office and motioned for Neal to hurry up and get inside.

Neal did so and shut the door.

For a few brief moments, neither of them said anything. Neal stood at the door awkwardly while Jerry straightened his folders on his desk. Finally, Neal had enough and questioned, "Sir?"

Jerry sat down and stated calmly, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you how important this case is."

Neal nodded without saying a word.

"I'm not sure why Agent Burke is here, but considering the fact that he's waiting at your desk, he's probably wants to talk to you." Neal turned his head slightly to confirm that Peter was still there—he was. "Don't talk to him about our case, Neal."

He turned his attention back to Jerry and almost questioned why when the agent volunteered the information. "I know Peter well. This case falls into their territory, sort of, and if he gets interested, he'll stick his nose in and try to investigate it on his own. I don't want this to turn into a competition with the White Collar Division. Too many things are riding on this."

Before Neal could stop himself, he asked, "Such as?"

Jerry sighed and answered, "I'll tell you about that soon enough. For now, just know that I don't want Agent Burke involved. I don't like that he hasn't talked to you for the entirety of your time with us and he's choosing _now_ to make his appearance."

Neal could tell Williamson was legitimately worried about it, so he tried to calm him. "Okay, I won't talk to Peter about it, unless of course, he specifically asks me. I…don't think I'm allowed to… _not_ tell him."

At this, Jerry's eyes narrowed significantly and once more, like yesterday, Neal felt a chill run down his back. " _I_ am your handler, Neal. Agent Burke has no hold over you right now, so he has no right to demand you to tell him anything. This is an order, Neal: _don't_ _tell Agent Burke about our case_." The last sentence was stated very slowly and Jerry was sure to enunciate every syllable perfectly.

"Okay," Neal assured him again.

Jerry scrutinized him for a few seconds more before smiling and saying good-naturedly, "Well, good then. All right, Neal, you're dismissed."

Without wasting any time, Neal left the room and walked down to the bullpen. His former handler met him halfway across the room. "Neal," the agent said softly.

Neal noticed quickly that he said his name with no malice whatsoever. As a matter of fact, it reminded him of the times when they were still friends and still working together as a team. "Peter," he replied with what he hoped was a similar sounding tone.

Peter upturned his lips in a bad attempt to smile and announced awkwardly, while tapping the sides of legs with his hands, "I'd like to take you to lunch today."

Surprised, Neal answered, "Okay." He looked at his watch and noticed that it was noon. "Uh, just let me grab my coat and hat." He brushed past Peter and grabbed those items off his desk and chair. He then looked back at Peter who quickly joined him. It was almost like old times when Peter's hand slipped to the small of his back and led him out of the office to the elevator.


	5. Chapter 5

Testing Bonds Chapter 5

Neal pulled his hat farther down on his head as he leaned against the back of the elevator. He watched Peter hit the bottom button which would take them to the Bureau's underground parking garage.

Suddenly brought out of the awkwardness of being around Peter again, he perked up and asked, "You're taking me outside of my radius?"

Peter shrugged and said, "Not necessarily. I just thought you might like a break from the fast food around here. Undoubtedly, you've had your fill of that while you've been with Organized Crimes."

Neal didn't respond right away, because he wanted to weigh his options. He could answer that he hadn't gone out with them at all until recently, but he considered that risky. Peter was here, taking him to lunch after weeks of not really speaking to one another. Neal wanted to believe wholeheartedly that Peter had missed him just as much as he had missed Peter, but he thought maybe there was a little more to this. What if Peter was there because of what had happened on the previous day? Maybe Peter noticed that he was getting closer with his current coworkers and perhaps he was a little jealous. If he gave up the con now, Peter might not continue to extend the olive branch towards him, so he merely smiled and said, "It's not so bad."

Both men were saved from having to say anything further by the ding and the opening of the elevator. Neal smiled mischievously as he turned right after he stepped off the elevator. It only took a matter of seconds for Peter's voice to stop him. "Uh, Neal, over here. Did you forget where I park already?"

Widening his grin triumphantly momentarily, he replied, "Oops! No, sorry. I guess I'm used to going to Jerry's car now." He wiped all emotions from his face before he turned around to see Peter's sour expression. He jogged slightly to his old partner's side and to change subjects asked, "Where are we going?"

Peter shrugged as he led the way to his car and suggested, "How about Ai Fiori?"

Neal paused outside the passenger door of Peter's car and watched as his companion walked to the driver's side. "Ai Fiori?" he questioned. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Peter Burke?"

Peter met Neal's gaze as he rested his hand on his door handle and replied, "I just thought you might like to go there. If not, we can always go to Michael's…"

"No, no!" Neal said hurriedly, opening the door and sitting down. "Ai Fiori is great."

Peter had a huge grin on his face as he joined Neal in the car. When they were both buckled, Peter turned to him and said, "Don't think this—going to Ai Fiori—is going to become a habit, Neal. It's not."

Neal didn't know why he was being treated to expensive Italian in the first place, but he wasn't going to start asking questions until they were actually there and seated. He knew Peter—Peter would change his mind in a heartbeat if Neal started pushing for explanations right away and there was no way he was that stupid. "So, are you paying?" he inquired playfully instead and laughed when Peter merely raised his eyebrow at him.

=)=)=)

Neal never considered Peter to be a shy person; he never considered himself to be one either. Despite the fact that their old banter had come back easily earlier in the car, now that they were in the restaurant, they were both silent, which wasn't usual for either one of them.

He could tell Peter was trying to figure out what to say. He could almost see the wheels turning in his friend's mind. He thought about helping him out by providing a topic, but Peter had asked him here, so he obviously had something on his mind, so Neal decided to wait it out, no matter how awkward things might become.

His patience was rewarded when half a minute later, Peter sighed and asked, "So, are you enjoying working for Organized Crimes?"

Neal wasn't sure if Peter seeking this information was the real purpose behind the meeting or not. He supposed he could imply that he was really enjoying it, but he didn't want to give Peter the idea of keeping him there permanently, so he shrugged and admitted, "I wouldn't say 'enjoy'. They're an okay group. They treat me well for the most part."

Peter nodded as he heard this. He took a sip of his water and then asked another question: "Working on a big case right now?"

Neal was surprised at the anxiety he felt rise to his chest. He wished with all his being that Peter hadn't asked, because he knew he was about to be put in the awkward situation of deciding whether to follow Jerry's order or not. He supposed he could lie, but he didn't know how much Peter already knew. Jerry was right when he said this case fell into White Collar territory, so talk might have already reached the department below. He couldn't risk lying at that moment while they were slowly but surely starting to get along right now...if that's what this was. Besides, he didn't want to lie to Peter directly-he had always tried to avoid that in that past.

"Sort of. I don't know much about it, yet," he answered truthfully. "They've been working on it for a while and I was just told about it yesterday afternoon. The meeting you saw this morning was just providing the agents with a small update and the fact that I'm now onboard." As Neal said all of this, he took note of Peter's reaction. Now that they were talking about a case-even though they hadn't really gotten into all the details-Peter's shoulders relaxed significantly and his eyes shined with a light that showed his immense interest in what Neal had to say. He would have loved nothing more than to use the case to ease back into their friendship, but he couldn't do it. "Anyway..." he said, picking up his water. "What about you? Anything interesting going on with your cases?"

"Mortgage fraud," Peter answered, glumly with a roll of his eyes.

Neal couldn't help but smile. "That's something I'm not missing."

"I bet," Peter agreed with a grin of his own, but it quickly faded. "Look, Neal. I need to ask you a question, and you don't have to answer right away. I just…" He shook his head. "I know things have been…strained between us recently, since you got back to New York. I'm not promising that things will immediately go back to the way things were. Well, considering that so many things have changed since you left, I guarantee it won't, but I want to get your thoughts anyway. Would you like to return to the White Collar Division?"

What Neal wanted to do was jump up and down for joy, but he grabbed ahold of the reaction and smothered it. Outwardly, he merely blinked hard for a second and then flashed a concerned look. "Are you sure that's what you want? Is that what Elizabeth wants? I know she probably still blames me for a lot of things that happened in your life the last time we worked together and I can't say with confidence that's she's not right. Besides…"

Peter leaned back in his seat and raised his hand to motion him to stop. The conman fell silent.

"Neal, El misses you." He shook his head and chuckled almost a little disbelievingly. "In fact, she's the one who encouraged me to talk to you today."

Neal nodded immediately and mumbled, "I should have guessed."

Peter heard his words and asked, "What?" Then, a light must have turned on because he quickly added, "No! I've wanted to talk to you for quite a while now, Neal. I just needed a little push to actually do it. You know how I can be sometimes."

Neal stared at his old partner for a while and admitted, "I've wanted to go back to White Collar since I got back to New York. That hasn't changed."

Peter smiled. "I can't promise when it'll happen, but I'll try to send the paperwork for a transfer as quickly as I can."

Neal nodded, but then he paused. He wanted to ask why Peter had changed his mind about their working together and he wanted to know if they could talk about it, but something more pressing had suddenly entered his mind. "Uh, wait. Maybe you should hold off on that for a little bit."

"Why?" Peter raised his brow and Neal could tell he was confused and perhaps a little concerned.

He shrugged and answered, "Jerry says the case we're working on now is pretty important. I know he plans on sending me undercover, and I think if I jump ships now, it's going to throw a wrench in all of Jerry's plans. Maybe I should stick around in Organized Crimes to see this last case through before I go back to White Collar."

Peter pursed his lips for a moment but then nodded. "You're right," he agreed. "It is the best way to handle things: tie up all loose ends and start fresh with us. Okay, Neal, I'll put the paperwork in right away, but I'll request that the transfer come through when this current case is over. Which case it is?"

That was a question he wanted to avoid. He swallowed a lump in his throat roughly and said softly, "I'm not sure if I can answer that question."

Peter blinked. "What?"

Neal met his gaze and held it as he explained, "Jerry told me not tell anyone about the case, not even you. I'm not sure if telling you the case number or who is involved would be going against that order."

The agent shook his head for a moment and asked, "Wait a minute, Williamson _ordered_ you specifically not to tell me about the case?"

Neal almost couldn't control his flinch, but he managed to. "The case sort of crosses several departments and he wants to keep it in Organized Crimes. I think he's afraid you'll want it in White Collar if you know about it."

Peter crossed his arms and countered angrily, "You're my CI, Neal. I _loaned_ you to Organized Crimes."

At that moment, the waiter interrupted by bringing them their food. While Neal spoke to the server and thanked them for bringing the meal, he also watched Peter stew from the corner of his eye. He had no doubt that Peter wasn't going to let this go.

=)=)=)


	6. Chapter 6

Testing Bonds Chapter 6

Neal kept a calm demeanor as he observed Peter's obvious display of outrage: his friend didn't thank the waiter for bringing their food, he practically flung his napkin into his lap, and he drank his entire glass of water in almost one gulp. Neal could tell Peter was trying not to explode in public. If they were in the office, he knew the full wrath of Peter Burke would be crashing on him right about now.

Sighing, he mumbled, "Peter, please. You know as well as I do that you guys love to fight over cases and with you being a department head now…well, if you wanted this case, you could probably get it. That's why Jerry doesn't want you knowing about it. That's all."

Peter leaned back in his seat completely and stared at Neal. "This was supposed to be our opportunity to start over. I didn't want any secrets between us. I thought things might change…"

Immediately, Neal dropped his composure and stared at him with pleading eyes. "Peter, you're not being fair. I have tried so hard to do the right thing recently. I haven't stepped out of line once since I've been with Organized Crimes. I wanted to show you that I can…I can be a man instead of a con." He shook his head. "Jerry ordered me not to tell you. If Reese had ordered you not tell me something in the past, you wouldn't have told me. In fact, I know that's happened several times. It's not fair to hold it against me, especially when I really don't want to hide anything in the first place."

Peter leaned forward and rested his forehead on his hands which were propped up by his elbows. When he looked up, he breathed deeply and replied, "You're right. I'm not being fair." He wiped at his face as if trying to wake himself up and continued, "I was worried about that, you know."

Neal raised an eyebrow. "About not being fair?"

"No, about why you hadn't been up to your old antics while with Organized Crimes. I thought maybe Jerry had a better way to rein you in. It…bothered me."

Neal didn't try to hide his emotion. He smiled and answered honestly. "No, he doesn't. I think you do—you just don't know it, yet."

Peter stared at him for a few seconds and then whispered, "If this is going to work, he need to talk about what happened, Neal."

Neal nodded, knowing he was referring to why he had left New York during the case with the Pink Panthers. While he was glad Peter was dropping the topic with Jerry for right now, he wasn't sure if this conversation would be any easier. "I know," he agreed. "I thought that's why you wanted to talk today in the first place."

"It was," Peter informed him. He played with his napkin a little bit before closing his eyes and shaking his head. "Why, Neal? Just…why? We were about to finish the case. You would have been set free. Why did you run?"

Neal raised his hands and ran his eyes down his body. " _This_ is why I ran…well, one of the reasons."

Peter shook his head in confusion, so Neal continued to explain.

"The FBI is never going to let me go, Peter. We've discussed this before. They would have found another way to keep me."

"So, you decided to provide them with the means?"

Neal looked up at the ceiling before admitting, "I wasn't going to come back. I had plans to stay far away from New York. I just…couldn't. I missed the life I had here. I guess I won't let myself go, just as much as the FBI won't."

They sat silently, eating, for about a minute when Peter observed, "You said that was one of the reasons."

Neal continued to eat for a moment before answering without looking up from his plate. "I was afraid," he admitted. "I've affected your life in so many ways, Peter, and for the worst."

"And, for the better, too," Peter interrupted.

Neal just shook his head. "If the world thought I was dead, I was convinced they'd leave you alone. You wouldn't have to worry about someone from my past showing up out of the blue to make life difficult for you. I wanted you and El to have a normal life with your son." He shook his head and whispered, "I knew you couldn't have that with me here, which is why it's completely selfish that I have returned, I know."

Peter pursed his lips for a moment and said, "It was selfish for you to leave without talking to me first. Why didn't I have a say in any of this?"

"Because I knew what you would say!"

"Does that make it wrong or not worthy of hearing?"

Neal met his gaze. "You would have convinced me to stay and…"

"And, what?" Peter asked. "You might be a free man right now. You might…"

Neal's glare cut him off. "You don't know that. There would have been another loophole, or Mozzie would have come up with some kind of scheme that would have gotten me into trouble again. I know you would have been watching me, waiting for me to mess up, and if not you, then someone else in the Bureau." He chuckled for a second when a faint reddish hue showed up on Peter's face. He shrugged and added, "But it doesn't matter. This is where we are now."

Peter nodded as well. "You're right. This is where we are now and, for the record, I'm glad you are back." He looked away as he stated, "I missed you, and your death…it was the hardest thing I ever lived through." There was a pause before he stated, "I don't want to do it again, Neal. You understand me?"

They met each other's gazes and both had unshed tears in their eyes. "I do," Neal answered.

They both returned to eating, but after a few minutes Peter said abruptly, "I want you to ride home with me after work. El wants to see you, and you should come see the boy finally."

Neal smiled and answered, "I'd like that."

After another brief pause, Peter added, "You don't have to tell me about your new case, Neal, but I will warn you that I will find out another way. I don't like anything that has you keeping secrets from me and…I just think things work better between us when we know what the other is doing and…" He shrugged and Neal smiled.

"I know what you mean."

=)=)=)

Peter sat in his office, going through casefiles that Organized Crimes were currently working on. As ASAC, Peter had access to all the files the Bureau in New York was working on. Flipping through the folders on his desk, he wasn't seeing anything that immediately stood out to Peter as the one that Neal could possibly be assisting with. Unfortunately, he knew little about the case, only that it "somewhat fell into White Collar territory." Regardless, he would find it and make sure Neal's last case with Organized Crimes ran smoothly.

Peter searched for the better part of two hours, reading case files, when he finally found one that stood out like a beacon: a Rembrandt was rumored to have resurfaced. Intelligence said someone by the name of Marcus Levington was holding a viewing of rare antiquities and high-priced pieces sometime in the near future. An official date or place hadn't been announced yet. As he flipped the page, there was a page on Levington and unfortunately, there wasn't a lot to go on: no picture, address, or anything else. Levington, apparently, was a ghost. He merely had the reputation of acquiring high commodities. Apparently, he was as infamous of the Dentist of Detroit, but instead of being viewed with disbelief, people actually believed in Levington's existence despite no one officially catching a glimpse of him or his showings.

"This case should be ours," Peter muttered. There was absolutely nothing here that seemed to connect to any other case Organized Crimes was working on…unless there was something Peter didn't know. He wondered if Neal knew what it was.

He continued to go through the other casefiles trying to make a connection to Levington's. After going through them all, there was nothing readily apparent.

He leaned back in his desk and stared across the bullpen. "What is going on here?" he mumbled to himself as Jones walked in.

His face must have shown his frustration or confusion well, because Jones immediately opened with "Something wrong, boss?"

Peter looked at Jones and tossed the Levington case to him lightly. "Organized Crimes is investigating this." He stood as Jones flipped through the file, obviously skimming it briefly.

"Shouldn't this be ours?" he asked as he looked up.

Peter nodded. "Something's not right here. Since when is Organized Crimes _ever_ interested in a case that so clearly belongs to us?"

Jones shrugged and supplied, "Maybe they want to give Caffrey something he's used to working on, so he doesn't complain too much?"

Peter shook his head and said, "No, there's more to this. I'm just not seeing it."

He walked over to Jones and took the file back to flip through it. "Maybe they know something more about Marcus Levington. Maybe they know who he really is."

"Maybe. But, what's bothering you? Do you want our taskforce on this case?"

Peter closed the file and tapped it on corner of his desk repeatedly. He ignored Jones questions and thought aloud, "Neal seems to think this case is really important to them. Soon, they're going to put him undercover. It's a good plan, but what's the end game for Williamson? There is no obvious incentive for him to want to solve a White Collar crime…Neal seemed nervous about whatever is going on."

Jones shrugged as he leaned against the wall and questioned, "Can't we just ask Neal about it?"

Peter sighed and said, "Neal's been ordered not to talk about the case with anyone, not even me."

Jones' eyes widened. "And, they couldn't have placed a bigger spotlight on their case any other way."

Peter knew what Jones meant and upturned his lips. "I'm just not comfortable with Neal hiding things from me. We know how that turns out."

Jones nodded and said, "No joke, you don't have to tell me, and I don't blame you for worrying. Do you think Organized Crimes knows what they're getting into with Neal, though, when he's left to his own devices?"

Peter walked to his window and looked outside. "I wonder if Neal knows what he's getting into with them. That's what I'm worried about. I've got a bad feeling, Jones."

"What do you want to do, boss?"

Peter turned around, propped one hand on his desk and placed the other on his hip as he thought of a possible answer.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter’s point of view today. Don’t worry, the whump is coming soon. I’m just setting things up! Again, thanks to everyone is reading, commenting, and following this story. It means a lot!

Testing Bonds Chapter 7

Peter pushed the “End Call” button on his cellphone after calling Neal for about the tenth time without an answer. He had been trying all evening after discussing the Levington case with Jones. Together, they had decided Peter should talk with Neal about the little he did know about the case he had found and gage Neal’s reaction. He had supposed earlier that a game plan—a way to approach this whole situation—would have calmed him, but instead he found himself on edge. He wanted to talk to Neal _now,_ and he hated that the CI was with another department and therefore out of his reach when he wanted him.

“Damn it,” he whispered to himself as he stood and headed out of his office. He was tired of waiting! He entered the elevator as soon as he reached it and hit the button for one floor up. This would be the second time he visited Organized Crimes that day, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t reach Neal and he wanted to know why.

As soon as he exited the elevator and entered their offices, he immediately looked at his partner’s desk. No Neal, and his hat and coat were missing also. He then glanced up at Agent Williamson’s office and saw the agent sitting behind his desk alone, studying at his computer screen intently.

Peter took a step in that direction but paused when an agent stepped in front of him. If he remembered correctly his name was Bierce.

“Agent Burke, it’s a surprise to see you back in the office again so soon.”

Peter could tell the man was fishing, wanting some kind of explanation for the day’s visits. No doubt Bierce was one of the agents on Williamson’s task force. He forced a polite smile on his face and replied, “I need to speak with Agent Williamson.” He walked around Bierce before the agent could reply and headed up the stairs. As soon as he reach Williamson’s door, he knocked and didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he walked in before Williamson even had the opportunity to ask him to come inside.

“Where’s Neal?” Peter asked abruptly.

Williamson had a hand over his phone, and his eyes, which were widened slightly, immediately narrowed in response. He removed his hand from the mouthpiece and mumbled, “I have to call you back.” Once the phone was in its cradle, Williamson stood and stated composedly, “Agent Burke, have a seat.” He gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk.

Peter took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He knew his actions were bordering on rudeness… Who was he kidding? He was acting downright insane! He sat down and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jerry,” he began with a slight chuckle. “Neal drives me a little crazy sometimes. I’m sure you know the feeling by now.” He expected Jerry to take it as the apology that it was and for the two of them to get along by comparing notes on the notorious Neal Caffrey, but that didn’t happen.

Instead, Williamson sat back down and replied coolly, “Actually, no, I don’t. Neal hasn’t lived up to his reputation in White Collar, I’m glad to say. He’s behaved himself with us.”

In response to Jerry’s words and tone, Peter immediately straightened in his seat and cleared all emotions from his countenance. “Yes, Neal told me he was trying his best to behave _for me_ while he was here.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been trying to reach him all afternoon without much luck. He’s supposed to be accompanying me somewhere after work and I wanted to finalize our plans.”

Jerry looked down at the large calendar on his desk and reported nonchalantly, “Neal hasn’t mentioned having plans this afternoon. He usually clears any outings with me—I like to know what he’s up to while he’s my responsibility.”

Peter could feel himself grinding his teeth together and forced himself to stop. He ignored the agent’s comment and stated calmly, “I need to know where Neal is.”

Williamson gave Peter an appraising glance before explaining almost absentmindedly, waving his hand as if it were of little concern, “He’s out in the field trying to gather entail on one of our cases. He should be back soon.”

Peter glanced behind him to the floor below. He already had a bad feeling all evening and it was getting worse now. “Who went with him?”

Williamson stood and said inquisitively, “Look, Peter, I’m not too sure what’s going on here. You’ve been quiet and out of the picture the entire time Neal has been working with us and all of a sudden today you’re showing up like it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Why is that?”

Peter glared at Williamson but stopped himself from giving a scathing reply. He knew his actions had to look odd to the casual observer. For months, it probably seemed like he hadn't had a care in the world about Neal. That certainly wasn't true...far from it actually, and he couldn't stand anyone questioning that.

Unable to refrain from putting the agent in his place, Peter stated, “You should know that Neal is about to transfer back to White Collar and I’m reestablishing my role as his handler.”

Williamson turned around and walked to the glass window behind him. Folding his arms behind his back and rocking on his heels slightly, he responded, “Neal has been doing excellent work with us, Agent Burke. He’s in the middle of a case right now.” He turned back around to stare at Peter and continued, “I don’t want to give him up right now. I won’t. In fact, let’s put all of our cards on the table while we’re both here and discussing Caffrey: I’m not entirely sure if I don’t want him working with our department permanently. He does good work with us and he’s been keeping his nose clean. My record with Neal, when looking at his behavior and compliance with his agreement, is a whole lot better than his and yours was in the same time frame.”

Peter wrinkled his face in contempt and spat, “This isn’t a competition, Williamson. Neal belongs in White Collar. He wants to transfer back to us and that is exactly what is going to happen. I was just giving you a little professional courtesy by letting you know. Now, before we go any further, let’s just…”

Peter’s words were interrupted by a voice and then a figure practically running into the room.

“Hey, Jerry, I know when…”

Peter turned abruptly and saw Neal freeze a couple of feet inside the room.

“Peter,” Neal said worriedly. “Why are you here? What’s wrong?”

Before Jerry could answer, Peter glanced at his watch quickly, stepped backward until he reached the ex-conman, and led Neal out of the office. He threw back over his shoulder, “It’s past 5:00, so Neal’s on my time now.”

They dashed down the stairs together, even though Neal could have no possible idea why they were making such a hasty exit. Evidently, he chose simply to go along with it, trusting Peter. These thoughts were confirmed when Neal questioned softly, “So, I'm on your time now?”

Peter sighed and said, “We’ll discuss that later; come on.”

Within moments, they were in the elevator and Peter leaned against the wall and banged the back of his head against it a couple of times. “That could have gone better,” he mumbled.


	8. Chapter 8

Testing Bonds Chapter 8

Neal stood in the elevator with Peter and tried to figure out what the heck was going on. He watched as Peter leaned forward from the wall and punched the button for one floor down. Before he could question what had happened and why they were going to the White Collar offices, his cell phone rang.

Pulling it out, he looked down at the screen, sighed, and said aloud, "Williamson."

Despite seeing Peter's narrowing eyes, he answered it and put the phone to his ear. "Jerry," he answered as the elevator doors opened.

Neal stayed where he was as Peter walked off and then turned around and waved his hand to tell him to follow. Neal could only shake his head in reply. Aloud, he said into the phone, "Yes, I did. Well, what was I supposed to—I know…I'll come back now. See you in a minute." When he turned off the phone, he looked regretfully at Peter and explained, "I have entail on the case we're working on. I was going to tell Jerry what I found out when I walked into his office. He could tell unfortunately, so I have to go back. He doesn't want to wait."

Peter stood in the elevator's door so it couldn't close. "I'll go back up with you," he said determinedly.

"Peter. How would I explain your presence _again_? I don't need a babysitter and I especially don't need those guys turning against me while we're wrapping up this case. Undoubtedly, they're going to be angry anyway about what just happened up there. Just let me handle this."

Grumbling, Peter blew out an exasperated breath and snapped, "Fine, but I'm waiting for you here and if you're not back soon, I will go back up there."

Neal nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Peter then stood back from the elevator and let the doors close. They watched each other intently until they could no longer see one another. Sighing, Neal steeled himself for what was about to occur. He had no doubt that Jerry and the others would be angry.

=)=)=)

When Neal walked into the offices, he wasn't surprised to see Agents Bierce, McRae, and Lowes upstairs.

"Did you tell Burke anything?" Williamson asked, almost angrily, as Neal stepped inside the conference room where everyone was standing.

"Of course not," he answered.

"Of course not," McRae echoed and then asked antagonistically, "Why should we believe you?"

Neal blinked in astonishment. He was slightly surprised that his coworkers were being openly aggressive with him. This was the first time they had shown such obvious behavior towards him. "Have I given you a reason not to?"

Neal could tell from their expressions that they didn't believe his confusion, and he really didn't blame them. He was a conman, after all. Before he could even utter anything in his defense, Jerry spoke first.

"Peter says you're planning on transferring back to White Collar. Is that true?"

Neal felt his words like a punch to the gut. He hadn't wanted Jerry to know that just yet. He had wanted the case solved and out of the way before he had to deal with breaking that decision to his handler—he had thought Peter understood that. Letting out a shaky breath, he answered honestly, "Peter asked me today if I wanted to go back to White Collar. I said yes. You know as well as I do that those cases are within my areas of expertise." Jerry looked angry, so he added, "But I told him I wanted to finish our current case first, which is how you know I didn't tell him any details about it. He could have easily taken the case and me back now if I had."

There was a moment of silence before Williamson nodded at the others. Everyone but Neal took a seat in the various chairs circled around the large table. Jerry looked up at him with piercing brown eyes that were so dark that they almost looked black. Neal ignored the shiver that ran down his spine and simply stared back at him.

Finally, Jerry questioned, "What did you find out earlier?"

"The showing is tomorrow night in an unused warehouse on Long Island."

Jerry grinned at the others and inquired, "You have the exact address?"

Neal nodded. "Yeah." He walked to the table and wrote it down on an empty notepad they kept there at all times.

Immediately, Jerry snatched it up, looked at the address, and then tossed it to McRae. The room was enveloped in silence and Neal started feeling a little anxious again. He glanced down at his watch discretely and then decided it was time to go. "Well, if that's it, I think I'll be leaving now," he said, walking to the door. "I have plans this afternoon."

Williamson's voiced boomed across the room. "Which I think you should cancel."

Neal whirled around to stare at Jerry. "What?"

Williamson waved his hand at the notepad and explained, "We can't do this on the fly, Neal. We need to come up with a game plan. I want you here while we do that. Your input is greatly needed, I think. It's not a good time to take a stroll down Memory Lane with Agent Burke."

Neal couldn't stop the arch of his brow.

Williamson saw it and provided an answer to his unasked question: "Peter told me you two had plans tonight. I'm sorry, Neal, but I need you."

Neal closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. He pulled his phone out immediately and texted Peter. " _I need to take a raincheck on tonight. Don't worry, everything is fine. We had a break in the case and Jerry needs my help. Sorry, Peter._ "

He sent the text without rereading it and deposited it back into his pocket. "Okay, my afternoon is now clear. What do you want me to do?"

Jerry grinned and announced, "We already set up your new alias. You're going to be a potential buyer for the Rembrandt. We want Jackson to win the auction, but we want you to give him a run for his money. Afterward, he'll want to talk with you. He always likes to know who all the big spenders are. We want you to play along, gain his trust…"

All of this seemed rather straightforward, so Neal was surprised when his gut clenched warily. It was still trying to tell him that something was wrong. Now, he was barely listening to Jerry, but he did manage to grab the file containing the information on his new persona so no one would be aware that something was troubling him.

Flipping through the pages as nonchalantly as he could manage, he saw that everything was in order. So far, it looked like any operations that Peter would do, so why was he so anxious?

Neal lifted his head and stared at Jerry. The agent suddenly slapped him on the back heartily with a deep smile covering his face and exclaimed, "This is going to be a big case, Neal. We know you'll come through for us."

Neal could tell Jerry meant those words. He hoped whatever it was that made him so uneasy would prove to be nothing more than nerves. It was possible. After all, this would be the first undercover assignment he had done outside of White Collar since his return to New York. It was possible he was simply uncomfortable from the novelty of it all and that he wasn't working with Peter on this one. He truly hoped that was all that it was.


	9. Chapter 9

Testing Bonds Chapter 9

Peter stood with his left hand on his hip as he glared at the cellphone in his right. He was so tempted to march back upstairs and…And, do what?

Right now, Neal worked for Organized Crimes and he had a lead on their current case—more than likely Neal knew when and where the viewing for the Rembrandt would be taking place. Peter knew if the event were any time in the near future and he had been in charge of the case, he would want Neal with him to help figure out a game plan and its many possible variations. Undoubtedly, that's what Williamson was planning on doing tonight, so what right did he have to go up there? It couldn't be because he simply wanted to have dinner with Neal and introduce his ex-partner to his son. When it came to Neal since he was a CI, his job came first.

Sighing deeply, Peter knew he had only one viable choice: to keep his promise to El to come home and help her with Little Neal every day at a reasonable hour. So, he walked back to the elevators and made his way to the parking garage alone.

=)=)=)

The next day Neal had little time to think of anything else besides the auction. He had been in the conference room for the better part of the day hashing out the night's game plan, as well as what he would be expected to do in the next few days. It was clear to Neal that they weren't going to make an arrest tonight. Supposedly, everyone wanted to wait and see what Jackson was going to do with the Rembrandt. At first he found their plans odd, but he had quickly decided to go with what his gut had been trying to tell him for the last few days and acknowledge that there was a lot more going on with this case than they were telling him. He decided that it all came down to Jackson. Undoubtedly, Jackson was into something bigger than buying a stolen painting, something that would make Organized Crimes look good if they arrested him with the right charge…The only question was what! But at the end of the day, he knew it didn't matter. He had a job to do, and he decided to just do it. The quicker Organized Crimes put the case to bed, the quicker he could get back to Peter and White Collar.

A voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"You are awfully quiet today."

Neal turned his attention to Jerry, who was standing beside his desk.

"Are you okay? Are you ready for tonight?"

Neal leaned back in his seat nonchalantly and placed his hands behind his head in an attempt to look relaxed. "I'm fine, and yes, I'm ready. I was just thinking over scenarios and possible exits if things go south in there."

Williamson placed a strong hand on Neal's back and patted it several times as Neal brought his arms down. The agent then assured him, "We'll be right outside, Neal. If things go bad, just say the word and we'll swarm the place."

Neal nodded. He had to believe that part of the scenario was true. If he signaled that he needed help, the FBI would come to help him. Even if he was still hesitant about the case as a whole, he knew with certainty that he would at least have backup.

Neal felt Williamson remove his arm and watched as the agent scrutinized him for a moment. Then, he stated, "We should go to lunch, some place nice—you know—to relax before we get the show on the road. Then, we'll come back and rehash what we need to do."

=)=)=)

Peter sat at his dining room table and stared off into space. He was worried: not only had he not heard from Neal all day, he had heard Organized Crime had a big operation going on tonight. Undoubtedly, this was the big case Neal was helping Jerry solve.

Regardless of the fact that the Levington case was not his, he still worried about it. So many variables were unknown and all of them dealt with Marcus Levington. Who was he? What did he look like? Where did he live? Who does he work for? What did he really want? He hoped Organized Crime had some kind of idea, but he was almost certain that they didn't…and that made him fearful for Neal.

When he sent Neal in on operations, Peter tried to answer every question he could think of. He wanted to make sure his entire team was safe. He couldn't help but question if Organized Crime would do the same for Neal. He would never have questioned Williamson's operations before, but now that this was Neal on the line and his talks with Williamson had gotten rather heated recently, he wasn't entirely comfortable with any of it.

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 7:30. He sighed and felt El rub her fingers through his hair softly.

"I'm sure he's okay," she whispered. "He's gone undercover before. He has a team backing him up, just like he did when he was working with White Collar."

He knew El was trying to be reasonable, to comfort him, but it wasn't working. "Yeah, but I was there, and I knew the all the facts of the case. I knew what Neal was supposed to do, and I was there to help him if something went wrong…"

El kissed him on the cheek as she lowered her chin to his shoulder from behind. "Neal will be fine, hon. He's smart and he can take care of himself. He's proven that over the years."

Peter sighed and said, "Yeah, but he's also proven that he's impetuous and can get himself into a lot of trouble. I don't know which outcome we're going to have tonight."

He knew El said something else to reassure him, but he was distracted by his cell ringing. He saw that it was Jones and answered it immediately.

"Peter," he heard his agent say quickly. "I'm still at the office and all hell has broken loose upstairs. It's Caffrey, and you're not going to like this."

=)=)=)


	10. Chapter 10

_(Two chapters were posted today, so make sure you read chapter nine, too!)_

Testing Bonds Chapter 10

Neal stood in front of the warehouse and shivered as a cool breeze brushed across the back of his neck. The building looked deserted and unused, but he knew well that its looks were deceiving. Inside those walls, there would be numerous people and possibly a whole lot of trouble.

Slowly, he looked around to see if he could spot anyone else approaching the building.

The instructions he had received from Mozzie had been clear. There were to be no vehicles in the vicinity of the warehouse. Each individual needed to find their own way to the facility without drawing attention to the auction's location. That certainly made things difficult when Jerry and he had been discussing backup. They were five minutes out, and while that length of time had occurred once in a while with Peter's operations, usually he wasn't alone like he was now. Peter, Jones, or Diana had usually been on site, as well.

Swallowing the lump that had centered in his throat, he walked to the warehouse side door, wrapped it three times slowly, paused, and then gave two knocks rapidly. Immediately, the door opened and a big burly man in a black sweater and pants asked, "Name?"

"Oscar Wilde."

No one was using their real names. Everyone had an alias to assure the anonymity of everyone present. It had made the case intriguing to have an alias for his alias, and in some ways, he hoped it made things easier. After all, everyone was pretending to be someone they were not.

The doorman stepped aside and said roughly, "Three doors down. Wait at the entrance until you have been spoken to."

Neal nodded and strolled to the location indicated causally. He didn't want to give any indication that on the inside he was a little startled. Never before at an auction had he had such instructions. It was obvious that once he stood in the doorway, he would be on display for everyone and he quickly knew the reason for it. It was to give everyone a chance to look at his features, to remember him, in case something happened…and that something could be anything. It deterred crime from the criminals, since they didn't like to be seen by the masses while performing their craft. It was a smart move.

In a very short time, he reached the door and stood inside. Already, the room had perhaps fifty people inside and all of them had turned to look at him. One by one, slowly, they looked away, presumably after memorizing his face. Finally, someone spoke to him.

"Ah, Oscar Wilde, is it?"

A man approached him and extended his hand.

Neal shook it and plastered a smile on his face. "Yes. And, you are?"

"Frank Harris."

Neal immediately smiled and said amusedly, "Ah, one of my friends who tried to keep me out of prison."

Frank chuckled and said, "You know your literary history."

"I do try," Neal remarked.

Frank gestured to the room and said, "We are waiting on a few more people to arrive and then the auction will begin. Refreshments are found on the back wall over there." He pointed to his left. "Mingle but remember do not discuss anything that will allow others to identify you or them."

"I'll remember that," Neal agreed.

"Good, then, have a good time."

Frank walked away and Neal was left to his own devices. He walked over to the refreshment table and looked at the room slowly. He didn't see Jackson yet, so he quickly surveyed the room to make sure all the exits in the blueprints of the building were where it said they would be. Regardless of Jerry's reassurances that backup would arrive quickly if he needed it, he wanted his own escape plan, just in case.

=)=)=)

Several minutes before the auction was scheduled to begin, Thomas Jackson walked into the room and paused in the entrance as Neal had done earlier. Neal made sure to give no outward signs of recognition and took a sip of his wine slowly as he also pretended to study Jackson as though he didn't already have his features planted firmly in his mind.

After about a minute, Frank walked up to Jackson.

Neal turned his attention to the group he was currently socializing with and said, "I wonder if that's the last person. I'm ready for things to get started."

The group agreed, and as soon as Jackson entered, Frank walked to the front of the room and raised his wineglass. "Attention, I believe everyone is here, so it's time for the auction to begin…but first, we have a little bit of housekeeping to do."

It was obvious from the mutters and the looks around that no one knew what Frank meant as he nodded to a couple of men on the left side of the room. Neal looked over at them and noticed they were looking directly at him and began to walk his way. A knot of dread settled into his stomach as he glanced back at Frank and noticed that the man was smirking at him. Neal placed a hand on his temple and spoke into the watch on his wrist. "They know! Friday!"

 _Friday_ was his code word for backup, but he knew he didn't have time to wait on them. Quickly, he rushed around the back table for one of the exits. He opened it hurriedly and was surprised to see the doorman from earlier standing there. "You can't leave this way, son," the man said, ironically almost sounding sympathetic.

Neal tried to turn around, but the doorman quickly lifted his foot to entangle it with Neal's. It sent Neal flying into the table beside him, but he managed not to fall. Instead, he caught himself with his right hand planted firmly in a plate of deviled eggs. Not hesitating, he grabbed the food and tossed it into the eyes of the man approaching him. Unfortunately, it only distracted him for mere seconds. By the time Neal got to the end of the long table, he was surrounded.

Trying desperately to talk his way out of this, he called out, "Umm, what's going on? What did I do?"

Immediately, almost as if by magic, the men ceased their approach, but it wasn't at all comforting. He was still surrounded and he knew in order for him to escape, if they didn't let him go, things would have to get physical.

Before he could make his decision about what to do or say next, he noticed Frank had begun to approach the circle. He tapped a man on the back and like a door, he was let inside. "Oscar Wilde…or should I say Neal Caffrey?"

Neal immediately breathed in sharply. Frank knew him! But how? He didn't recognize anyone in this room!

Frank smiled and said, "I wish I had this on camera to show everyone your face right now. You know retribution is about to arrive."

"Retribution?" Neal asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I don't even know who you are!"

Frank laughed again and replied, "Most people don't, but many refer to me as Marcus Levington."

Neal paused. He had heard that name before. _Marcus Levington. Marcus Levington_.

He had heard that name whispered a couple of times while on the Pink Panther case. He had been one of the men behind the scenes, one he hadn't met. His eyes widened before he controlled the action and wiped all expression from his face.

Unfortunately, Levington saw it. He chuckled menacingly and stated proudly, "Yes, I thought you might recognize the name. I am surprised, though, that you would have the nerve to come to one of my auctions and then act shocked when I actually show up. I must say, I am impressed with your actions."

Neal closed his eyes momentarily and felt a rush of heat spread throughout his body. Whether it was anger or nerves, he wasn't sure. At the moment, it didn't really matter. Meeting Levington's gaze, he countered, "I didn't know you were here or in charge. I was genuinely interested in the Rembrandt."

Levington seemed to think about that for a moment, touching his lip with his left index finger. "Shame," he said softly. "Regardless, we need to be on our way. I assume you still work for the FBI, yes? They should be here any moment."

As gasps filled the room, he turned to the people and calmed them. "Don't worry. My men removed all criminating evidence from the vicinity when we saw Mr. Caffrey. The FBI cannot hold you on anything. You'll be free to go." He then turned back to Neal and whispered, "As for you, you will not be. You'll be joining our collection."

A man behind Neal grabbed him firmly by the arms and as they started to move towards the exit, he cried out, "What does that mean?"

Levington laughed and said, "Oh, you'll see!"

As soon as they were through the doors, Neal saw that it led into a larger room where there was a van waiting. He knew then if he allowed them to put him in that vehicle, he might not be heard from again. He wouldn't see Peter. He wouldn't work for White Collar, and he definitely wouldn't meet his namesake. All of those things rushed through his mind and he had no idea just how badly he wanted those things to happen until that very moment.

With a loud yell, Neal slammed the heel of his dress shoe on the man pushing him forward and dug it in as hard as he could. The man was wearing loafers, so he knew it might cause enough pain for the guy to release him. When it worked, he pushed the unaware people out of the way and headed for the lifting carport.

"Get him!" he heard Levington call out.

Neal believed he had never in his life run so quickly and that was saying something! He squeezed under the van's still rising door as quickly as he could. It slowed him down somewhat, but he knew he was still ahead of his pursuers. Once he was outside, he made his way to a neighboring building. He knew it was unwise to head to the main road, because he would be out in the open then. And, with all the people leaving, they might try to capture him to get into Levington's good graces.

As he reached the nearby building, he slowed down and took in his surroundings. His heartrate was elevated and his breathing had increased significantly, but he was still able to think. He couldn't see anywhere to go near this building, but he noticed by the next that there was a dock and a boat attached to it. With no other boats nearby that he could see, he knew he stood a real chance of getting away if he could get into the water and away from the shore.

Calming his nerves and breathing, he made his way to the edge of the building and waited. When he made sure he heard nothing moving around him, he peeked around the corner. Immediately, he was confronted by one of Levington's men. He let out a startled cry as he stepped backward and the man lifted his hand which had a gun in it.

Neal thought for sure that his life was over. Instead, he heard the cry of sirens in the distance and saw the whip of the man's arm towards his head.

Then, he was aware of nothing else…


End file.
